Impact of Childhood Adversity and Vasopressin receptor 1a Variation on Social Interaction in Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Jia Jia Liu,Yvonne Forsell,Fenglan Lou,Catharina Lavebratt,Hubert Vaudry

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136436

Jia Jia Liu, Yvonne Forsell + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136436

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Abstract

BackgroundArginine vasopressin (AVP) plays a role in social behavior, through receptor AVPR1A. The promoter polymorphism AVPR1A RS3 has been associated with human social behaviors, and with acute response to stress. Here, the relationships between AVPR1A RS3, early-life stressors, and social interaction in adulthood were explored.MethodsAdult individuals from a Swedish population-based cohort (n = 1871) were assessed for self-reported availability of social integration and social attachment and for experience of childhood adversities. Their DNA samples were genotyped for the microsatellite AVPR1A RS3.ResultsAmong males, particularly those homozygous for the long alleles of AVPR1A RS3 were vulnerable to childhood adversity for their social attachment in adulthood. A similar vulnerability to childhood adversity among long allele carriers was found on adulthood social integration, but here both males and females were influenced.LimitationData were self-reported and childhood adversity data were retrospective.ConclusionsEarly-life stress influenced the relationship between AVPR1A genetic variants and social interaction. For social attachment, AVPR1A was of importance in males only. The findings add to previous reports on higher acute vulnerability to stress in persons with long AVPR1A RS3 alleles and increased AVP levels.

Highlights

Individuals’ functional social behavior depends on their capacity for social interaction, which plays an important role in having an active life and participating in society [1]
Adult individuals from a Swedish population-based cohort (n = 1871) were assessed for selfreported availability of social integration and social attachment and for experience of childhood adversities. Their DNA samples were genotyped for the microsatellite AVPR1A RS3. Those homozygous for the long alleles of AVPR1A RS3 were vulnerable to childhood adversity for their social attachment in adulthood
A similar vulnerability to childhood adversity among long allele carriers was found on adulthood social integration, but here both males and females were influenced

Summary

Introduction

Individuals’ functional social behavior depends on their capacity for social interaction, which plays an important role in having an active life and participating in society [1]. When facing stress or other health risk events, social interaction works as a buffer promoting adaptive behavior of neuroendocrine responses against negative health effects [2]. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is widely expressed in the brain and has been shown to play an important role in social behavior, including social recognition, aggression, reproduction, parenting, affiliation, through comparative neurobiological studies conducted in species from nematodes to mammals [7,8,9]. AVP functions through activation of specific receptors, including V1a (AVPR1A), V1b (AVPR1B) and V2 (AVPR2). Arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays a role in social behavior, through receptor AVPR1A. The relationships between AVPR1A RS3, early-life stressors, and social interaction in adulthood were explored

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